For more than two weeks now, the Italian left has been busy day after day against the Meloni government’s proposal to strengthen the network of so-called CPRs – detention centers for repatriation – places designated to manage the return of foreign citizens in an irregular situation who are subject to an expulsion order. Ignoring, or rather pretending to ignore, not only that it was a center-left government that “invented” this instrument in 2017, but also that it was the explicit request for its strengthening, almost a year ago, when the government was still them, nobody less than the European Union.
It is an implementation decision of the Council of the EU of June 17, 2022 and concerning the “correction of deficiencies identified in Italy’s 2021 assessment of the application of the Schengen acquis on return”, which lists a whole series of recommendations aimed at our country precisely on the management of the repatriation system, evidently judged by Brussels as deficient in several aspects. In particular, in the first point of the document, the EU invited Italy in no uncertain terms to “ensure that a return decision is issued without unnecessary delay against any third-country national whose application for legal stay or international protection has been rejected”, to then directly recommend, in point 6, “improving infrastructure, services, living conditions in detention centres” and “guaranteeing respect for private life both in health establishments and during visits” .
Finally, in the last point, number 7, the Council asked to “adopt all the necessary measures” so that the repatriation is “effectively carried out”, finding “adequate human resources”, ensuring “a detention capacity in line with the real needs ”, eliminating obstacles “which limit the use of alternative measures to detention” and increasing “assisted voluntary repatriation projects”.
By now it should be clear to everyone that the most effective way to comply with this type of recommendation is to expand, strengthen and finance the repatriation system, of which the CPRs are an integral part. To all, except today’s Italian centre-left, whose outraged reactions in recent weeks to the current government’s proposal are far from the respectful silence he exhibited when he was in government and the EU Council elaborated on the above requests.
A double standard, that of the local dem, which reached its apex on April 16 of last year, when as many as five “red” regions (Tuscany, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Puglia and Valle d’Aosta) refused to sign the agreement on immigration for the declaration of a state of emergency and consequent appointment of an ad hoc extraordinary commissioner, precisely, it seems, because of the feared possibility of strengthening the CPR system throughout the national territory, as requested by the EU. In short, we are in the usual: the infamous “Europe asks us”, a mantra often used by the dem as a stick to approve rules of dubious utility for our country, is only valid when it suits the left.
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
